Railway car construction



. Oct-29,1963 sTAFFoRb, JR 3,407,753

RAILWAY CAR cou N Oct. 29, 1968 G. STAFFORD, JR 3,407,753

RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 4 m m M W E //A\ E HM E gm NW C K E r1 E I E 5 .L E z' I E Q E -53 a m 5 d1 E [11 (W3 E m E I I E 9* NQ I E v \n I g I? F f E A z A E J INVENTOR Edwin G. Sfofford,Jr.

ATTORNEY alllllllll ATTORNEY 29, 1968 E. G- STAFFORD, JR 3,407,753

RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 21, 1966 -Fig.lO

United States Patent 3,407,753 RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Edwin G. Stafford, Jr., 6110 Hickory St., Roscoe, Tex. 79545 Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 535,858 8 Claims. (Cl. 105--367) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railway car construction which has special reference to flat bed type of railway cars having bulkheads at each end, and commonly known as flat cars, and concerns an arrangement of demountable A-frame elements spaced along the medial portion of the car for supporting and cradling cargo on each side thereof, and providing tiedown means for such cargo. The invention also provides for compact storage of the A-frames and parts of the tie down means when the car is unloaded and in transit.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to railway car construction, and particularly to a flat bed type of car having a bulkhead at each end, and it has special reference to an arrangement of dernountable load supporting A-frames and load tie-down means on the car, and storage means for the A-frames in the absence of a load.

A prime object of the invention is that of providing load supporting or cradling means for flat bed railway cars whereby articles of cargo, such as lumber, packaged plywood, wall-board, and the like, can be loaded and onloaded from either side of a car, and secured in transit, with a minimum of effort while yet enabling the car to be utilized in transporting heavy machinery, motor vehicles, and other ietms generally hauled in this manner.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an A-frame structure comprising a pair of companion parts, each of which is tubular and designed to accommodate =a tie-down cable arranged therethrough anchored along the medial portion of the car floor and each being removably supported in one of a series of sockets spaced along a channel member longitudinally of the car floor.

A further object of the invention is that of providing a series of A-frame structures, suitably spaced and removable, as desired, to avoid conventional permanent type supporting devices such as that described in US. Patent No. 3,159,112, dated Dec. 1, 1964, issued to Kenneth D. Tomlinson, and which unnecessarily restricts the utility of the car on which such devices are installed.

Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of an A-frame structure for supporting or cradling units of cargo on a flat car, and load binding apparatus associated therewith, which can be readily removed or rearranged, and compactly stored when not in use, whereby the car on which such devices are installed is in no way limited in the usefulness ordinarily attributable to such equipment.

Description of the drawings While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become apparent as the description proceeds, when considered in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a railroad freight car having the invention incorporated therein, showing the car partly loaded and showing a corresponding portion of the apparatus of the invention in place.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away to show details, showing a fully loaded car similar to the partly loaded car illustrated in FIGURE 1.

3,407,753 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of the fully loaded car shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevational view on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale showing a pair of legs which comprise one of the A frames employed to cradle the load on the car.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing a short section of the channel shaped member and a pair of square sockets thereon for engagement by the lower ends of the legs of an A frame as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale, partly broken away, showing an angular element on one of the flexible links, shown in broken lines, for abutting engagement with a corner portion of the load.

FIGURES 8 to 11, inclusive, are fragmentary views on an enlarged scale showing details of construction.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 4 of the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a railroad car having a flat bed, indicated generally by the numeral 11. The car 10 has a frame member 12 extending longitudinally of the bed 11, along its longitudinal center line, and has other frame members 13 extending along opposite sides thereof.

The car 10 has a discontinuous wood floor comprising two separate rows of boards 14 positioned on opposite sides thereof and supported on the frame members 12, 13. The boards 14 of said rows extend transversely of the car 10 and define between them a central depression 15 extending longitudinally thereof along the first mentioned frame member 12.

An elongated member 16, which is channel shaped in transverse section, is received in the central depression 15 and is secured to the frame member 12. The channel shaped member 16 is substantially coextensive with the depression 15 and is positioned therein with its side flanges extending upwardly, substantially flush with the floor.

In loading such items of cargo 17, as packaged or bundled lumber, plywood, and the like, and securing them against displacement in transit, an arrangement of A- frames 18 is provided along the longitudinal median of the car 10 and to each is attached a flexible cable or link 19 to bind the load, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2. and 4, and wedge-shaped pallets 20 are generally provided to support the units 17 to cradle and incline them inwardly against the A-frarnes 18.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the A-frames 18 are formed in two separable units 21 each comprising one leg thereof. The legs 21 of the A-frames 18 comprise square tubes, open at their ends, having structural reinforcing means intermediate their ends, as at 22, to resist swaying with the load 17.

One of the legs 21 of each pair has an extension 23 of invented U-shape, arcuate in transverse section, for hooking engagement with the adjacent end of the companion leg 21, as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, whereby the legs 21 are connected, with the reinforcing means 22 of the respective legs 21 in opposing relation, as shown in FIG- URES 4 and 5, and to provide a bearing for the links 19 as hereinafter described.

The legs 21 of the A-frames 18 have their lower end portions loosely received in oversize square sockets 24 therefor secured to the inside of the channel shaped member 16 adjacent its side flanges, as shown in FIGURES 6 and 10.

The flexible links 19 of each pair are anchored at one end to the frame member 12 below the channel shaped member 16, and are passed upwardly through the inside of the respective legs 21 of the corresponding A-frame 18 to the tops thereof, where the links 19 are crossed and their direction is changed, as shown in FIGURE 8. The links 19 are passed over the load 17, and the ends of the links 19 opposite said one of their ends are removably and adjustably connected, respectively, to the distant sides of the car 10, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 1 1 and as hereinafter described.

Each of the flexible links 19 is connected by a hook and eye arrangement 25 to another, relatively shorter flexible link 26 which extends upwardly from one side of the car and has one of its ends wound on a small hand operable winch 27, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 11. Upon tightening the links 19, by operation of the winches 27, the A-frames 18 are firmly secured in their sockets 24, in their erect positions.

The winches 27, one of which is shown in FIGURE 11, each comprise a small spool on which the flexible link 26 is Wound, and which has a hole (not shown) in one of its ends for engagement by a removable handle 28, shown in broken lines, and has a ratchet 29 on its opposite end for engagement by a pawl 30 whereby it is secured in its adjusted position.

A plurality of angular elements 31, which have pads 32 on the inside thereof, are each adjustably connected to one of the flexible links 19 intermediate its ends, as shown in FIGURE 7, for abutting engagement with an adjacent corner portion of the load 17, as shown in FIG- URE 1, between said corner portion and the corresponding link 19, upon tightening the links 19, whereby the load 17 is secured against displacement from the car 10.

The A-frames 18, with the flexible links 19, and the wedge members 20 coacting therewith, in their detached, separated positions are adapted to be stowed in the central depression 15, below the level of the floor, when not in use.

The invention may be modified within certain limitations by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway freight car having a flat bed, a frame having floor sections supported on opposite sides thereof, a channel member arranged longitudinally of said frame intermediate its sides, and between said floor sections, in combination, a plurality of removable A-frames spaced along said channel member, each comprising a pair of separable tubular leg sections, a series of sockets spaced along each side flange of said channel member to removably receive the lowermost ends of said leg sections in their operative positions, a flexible load tie-down link arranged through each of said legs and having one end permanently secured to said car frame through one of said sockets, the said links being extended over said A- frames, in their erected positions, to opposing sides of said car and securable thereto for binding a load on said car, the leg sections and said links being receivable in said channel member when said car is unloaded.

2. In a railway car construction having a frame and a flat bed floor supported on said frame, and a channel member on said frame medially dividing said floor longitudinally, in combination, a plurality of A-frarnes remov ably spaced along said channel member, each having a pair of detachably connected tubular leg sections, a series of sockets spaced along and within each upturned flange of said channel member to removably receive the lowermost ends of said leg sections, a flexible tie-down link arranged through each leg section and having one end secured to said frame through each socket, its opposite end being securable to opposing sides of said car frame, the said leg sections and said link being disposably receivable in said channel member in their inoperative conditions.

3. The structure of claim 1, the said leg sections being rectangular in transverse section, open at their ends, and one of said sections having an inverted U-shaped extension, arcuate in transverse section, at its upper end for engagement with the opposing leg section, each of said sections having reinforcing means longitudinally thereof in opposing relation to its companion in its erected position.

4. The structure of claim 1, a plurality of small hand operable winches arranged along opposite sides of the car, in spaced relation to each other, the said flexible links each having one of its ends wound on one of said winches whereby, upon tightening said flexible links, by operation of said winches, said A-frames are firmly secured in their sockets, in their erect positions, while securing the load against displacement from the car.

5. The structure of claim 1, and a plurality of angular elements, each having a pad on the inside thereof, each adjustably connected to one of said flexible links intermediate its ends, for abutting engagement with an adjacent corner portion of the load, between said corner portion and one of said Winches, whereby the load is secured against displacement from the car.

6. The structure of claim 2, said flexible linkage consisting of a pair of steel cables each secured to the bed of the car and extending upwardly through a tubular leg portion of one of said A-frames, said ca'bles being crossed at the top of said A-frame and there-after passed over the load and secured to the bed of the car, at the side of the car farthest removed from said tubular leg portion of said A-frame.

7. The structure of claim 2, and a plurality of right angular elements each loosely connected to one of said cables for sliding adjustment relative thereto, said right angular elements each having a pad on the inside engageable over a corner portion of the load upon tightening said one of said ca'bles about the load.

8. The structure of claim 2, wherein the tie-down links, being anchored in one series of said sockets, are passed over said U-shaped extension in one series of said legs and crossed with the links of the opposite series of said legs and secured to opposite sides of said car.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,052,914 9/1936 Williams -368 3,092,368 6/1963 McDowell et a1. l05368 3,159,112 12/1964 Tomlinson 10S367 3,173,645 3/1965 Gray 105-369 3,312,182 4/1967 Broling 105-368 DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner. 

